When is a trip to school reasonable?

The tragedy caused sadness and horror across the country. A five-year-old boy died on Wednesday morning in a traffic accident in Zurich. He was on his way to kindergarten. A passerby found the boy on Escher-Wyss-Platz, the rescuers were only able to determine his death.

There are currently many indications of a hit-and-run fatality. The Public Prosecution Service checks a truck driver and two motorists whether they are involved in the accident.
According to the city’s assessment, the said intersection in Zurich West, the former industrial area with the wide arterial roads, is not considered to pose a risk. According to the responsible service department, no accident has happened there in the past five years.

Politicians did not act

Parents and residents see it differently. For them, road safety on the site had been a nuisance for years. The parents of the deceased boy, together with others, had also contacted the municipality because they thought the crossing was dangerous. The neighborhood association also came to this conclusion after an on-site inspection. For many residents it is therefore incomprehensible why politicians remained inactive.

How can a child travel to school? This question moves the whole country at the beginning of the school. The conflict is quickly outlined: parents want quick, unbureaucratic solutions to possible dangers, authorities stick to their standards and fear higher costs.

This year alone, about 1,900 tricky spots came together when “Beobserver” magazine asked the populace about dangerous routes to school to enter on an online map. Excessive speed, lack of visibility and simply too much traffic are the top priorities in the Worry Barometer. Many parents feel powerless.

It depends on the age

Lawyer Sandor Horvath knows such conflicts between parents and authorities. Each way to school must be assessed individually in each individual case, and the age of the children in particular is a decisive factor.

“If the parents feel that the way to school is unreasonable because it is too long or too dangerous, they can make a request to the school board and request measures,” says Horvath. In many cases, however, the request is rejected at first instance. According to the lawyer, this often happens under the motto: “Fend off the beginning” or out of ignorance.

Legal aid is then often unavoidable for the parents. Depending on the canton, this can lead from the district council or the government council to the administrative court and the federal court. “Expenses of about 5,000 francs will probably be incurred each time,” says Horvath.

Such processes often take a long time and a positive verdict is sometimes of little use to those involved because their own children have now outgrown the school age. Nevertheless, the lawyer is convinced that the commitment will pay off in the long term. “The more people fight back, the sooner school authorities have to ensure safe and reasonable routes to school.” And: reasonable school routes are also an important location factor for the communities.

fewer deaths

Although the routes to school in Switzerland have become safer, the number of seriously injured and killed children has fallen steadily over the past three decades. Nevertheless, according to the Accident Prevention Advisory Center (Bfu), in 2021 about 400 children had an accident on their way to school. About one in six children suffered serious injuries. It is unclear, according to experts, why this is due to increased traffic, larger vehicles or distracted children.

Some parents are now hoping for a speed of 30. Up to 40 percent fewer accidents occur in such zones. The Federal Council decided this summer that it would be much easier to introduce 30 km/h on side roads and in settlements than before. Ultimately, however, it’s the communities that decide – not necessarily good news for parents.